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CHAPTER I SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS sponsoring entity for the neighboring Paonia Project. Funds have been contributed by the districts for the investigations. Many local people, including members of the districts have attended numerous meetings in the area, conducted by Reclamation in relation to project planning. Public Involvement Activities The public involvement activites for the Grand Mesa Project in- cluded public meetings, planning team meetings, subteam meetings, technical staff meetings, and meetings with the two conservancy district boards of directors. Public involvement during the formulation of alternatives consisted of meetings with the conservancy districts, planning team, and special- ized subtesms. Alternatives were presented for consideration and modifi- cat ion at the public meetings. The meetings also served to review the problems and possible solutions so the public could be informed, respond to a range of ideas, and offer new solutions for consideration. Public involvement during the considerat ion of alternat ives con- sisted of eliciting public preferences and suggestions regarding solu- tions for conserving and developing water supplies for the area. Public meetings conducted by Reclamation as well as meetings conducted jointly by the two water conservancy district boards served as a forum for project planners. Plan Formulation Plan formulation followed multi-objective planning (MOP) procedures and Principles and Standards. Alternatives considered emphasized nat ional economic development and environmental quality object ives, in line with recommendations made during public meetings in the area. Twenty-two structural alternatives plus a no-action alternative were initially studied. Only one of these could pass the tests of complete- ness, effectiveness, efficiency, and acceptability as set forth by Principles and Standards, and was temporarily selected as the preferred plan. This alternative involved the enlargement of the existing Fruit- growers Reservoir from its present capacity of 4,500 acre-feet to approximately 40,000 acre-feet, and provided for 48,330 acre-feet of water annually including about 37,000 acre-feet for irrigation and 6,150 for municipal and domestic use for Cedaredge, Orchard City, and Hotch- kiss. Feeder canals from Leroux, Surface, snd Tongue Creeks would be constructed to provide additional water to Fruitgrowers Reservoir. Storage water released from Frui tgrowers Reservoir would be del iv- ered to higher-lying lands between the Reservoir and Cedaredge by a system of three pumping plants snd latersls. Return flows from a mesa east of Cedaredge would supply water for a waterfowl refuge. Between 5